The Brightleaf Clans
The Brightleaf Clans "The Brightleaf Clans" is the collective name for the fifteen Elven clans that dwell in the Northern Wilds. Their settlement there predates human history, but the territory hasn't remained stagnant - elven history, like human history, tends to run in cycles, with a gradually diminishing elven territory finally causing an outburst of conquest that dramatically expands the clans, only for them to shrink back down again over time. The clans are more or less evenly distributed, mostly according to preference. The more insular clans remain in the most northern and western reaches of the continent, while the more outgoing and tolerant ones tend to range toward the southeast. When subdividing clans, the elves tend to do so by area. Named clans so far include Selshiram and Kitusen, both in the Central part of the Wilds, Anarion, in the West, and Hadrio, from the East. More will be named as needed. 'Government' The clans tend to be governed by the oldest individuals in the clan who are interested in taking on the job - there are fewer applicants than you'd think, since the elves can't spare you from labor, clan defense, or basic duties just because you happen to be the leader. While the clans themselves are not small - each is, in total, the size of a moderately large human village - elves live long enough that by the time an elf would be taken seriously as an Elder, he or she might very well know everyone in the clan by name. Elders offer guidance to the families that make up the clan, and arbitrate disputes, but tend to leave foreign policy decisions to the leaders of the Evergreen Sentinels. 'Economy' The clan elves have no currency system to speak of - most intra-clan trade, and all trade between the clans and outsiders, is done through solid barter, typically involving crafted goods for supplies or special materials that can't be obtained in the wilds. 'Architecture' Brightleaf villages and towns - they really have no population centers that humans would term a 'city' - tend to be built as far off the ground as possible, hidden up in the greatest of the trees. This serves the double pupose of preventing the odd bear or yeti from wandering into the village and keeping the entire town from being completely buried under the worst snows. The elves have become quite adept at this sort of construction, and these villages are in general quite stable from a structural standpoint, as well as being fairly easy to defend. 'Culture' Those of the clans tend to form strong ties within their family and clan, and equally strong rivalries with other clans. While war between them isn't unheard of, the harsh realities of the environment and the low population make grand-scale wars infeasible. Most elves with martial leanings are instead sent to join the Evergreen Sentinels - the closest thing to a military that the Brightleaf Clans have, unaffiliated with any one clan. Clan elves have a number of curious customs. They have no true religion, but do freely offer prayer to the surrounding spirits when stressed and will accept spiritual guidance from their sages. They are named by said sages in accordance with a number of omens and superstitions that are more tradition than magic at this point. The clan elves take that name as their first name and use the clan name as a surname, but only use as many names in an introduction as they're willing to involve in the current business - in short, most elves from the clans refuse to give a clan name unless they're planning to drag their friends and family into things.